LOVE:  ‘LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU’

(1) JOHN 13: 1-17   LOVE’S EXAMPLE

“Jesus now showed them the full extent of his love.... I have set you an example.....As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

John 13 is such a powerful example of the sort of love Jesus has for us – and the sort of love He requires of us

LOVE and LOWLINESS:

Why does John, in introducing this incident from the last night of Jesus’ life, lay so much emphasis on Jesus’ self-knowledge of is highest position and power? (13.1,3)

How does it emphasize the extraordinary love he demonstrated that night?

(Do you see any parallels with Philippians 2.5-8?)

(How lowly was the job Jesus performed that night? Whose job was it normally to wash the feet of honoured guests in a Jewish home?

Why did none of the disciples extend to their fellows this basic courtesy that night? [See Luke 22.20-26])

What does this tell us about true love?  How do we apply this practically to our lives?   What sort of things will we find ourselves doing?

LOVE and WORTHINESS

How worthy that night were the disciples of the sort of love Jesus showed them?

-  What weaknesses and failures were present in their hearts that night? And how great were these?  (See John 13.18,21-27; 13.36-38 with Luke 22.24 and Mark 14.27-31)

ENCOURAGEMENT: What encouragement is there in this for us?

CHALLENGE: What does all this tell us about the sort of people we are to love; and the sort of situations in which we are to love?

 - How hard is this for us to do?

LOVE and EFFECTIVENESS

Vying for prestige, the disciples’ hearts were very proud and stony that night.

From a consideration of what went on between Jesus and Peter, talk about what impact Jesus’ love had on such hearts that night.

Why is love so effective in melting hearts and breaking down barriers?

(What other methods might Jesus use to shame and change his disciples that   night? Would they have been as good? What other ways do we try?)

CLOSING CHALLENGE:

 Do you believe (deeply) in the way of love?

 Are you committed (deeply) to practising the way of love?

Are there any situations in your life where you feel you need to change your attitude and go out to others in love?